Creepy Sunspots Look Like Popcorn

Closeup shots of the Sun show just how creepy sunspots can look.

Creepy sunspots seen by astronomers at the GREGOR telescope in Europe reveal our parent star in unprecedented detail. The images also show just how creepy sunspots can look.

Studying magnetic patterns on the Sun allows researchers to better understand its behavior. Severe solar storms can affect satellites and electronic systems here on Earth.

“This was a very exciting, but also extremely challenging project. In only one year we completely redesigned the optics, mechanics, and electronics to achieve the best possible image quality.” said Dr. Lucia Kleint, who led the project.

Movement is seen in a sunspot, recorded by astronomers at the newly-refurbished GREGOR telescope. Image credit: KIS

Solar granules shown in the images resemble popcorn. Hot plasma rising from beneath the surface of the Sun produce bright centers at the centers of the granules. As this material moves outward, it cools, falling back at the edge of the convection cells, producing dark rims. Each piece of this solar popcorn averages 1,500 kilometers in diameter — roughly 10 percent as large as the Earth.

Although sunspots appear dark, they are actually quite bright — but compared the ultra-bright solar surface on which they sit, they are darker than their surroundings.